After visiting Susa, I stopped in Avigliana on the way back to Turin: It is a town located at the mouth of the Susa Valley, half-way between Susa and Turin. It has a medieval town (Borgo Vecchio) which still retains some buildings of that era and is overlooked by a castle in ruins (Castello di Avigliana), with a great view on the Medieval Town, the Susa Valley, the surrounding mountains and the Avigliana Lakes Natural Park.
The Château des Sires de Faucigny is a medieval castle in Bonneville, Haute-Savoie. I went there after visiting the Tour des Comtes de Genève in La Roche-sur-Foron nearby. It was built in the 13th century to serve as the seat of the Lords of Faucigny. The castle then passed under the control of the house of Savoie and became a jail until the 20th century. It was recently renovated and opened to the public for the first time this year. The two large towers, the rampart between them and the courtyard can be visited. Entrance is free.
The Tour des Comtes de Genève (Tower of the Counts of Geneva) is a medieval tower located in La Roche-sur-Foron, near Annecy. The tower is built at the top of the large rock (roche in French) that gave its name to the town. During medieval times, it was actually the keep of a castle belonging to the Counts of Geneva, who had made the town their capital, before they moved it to Annecy. The castle was destroyed a long time ago but nowadays, the tower remains and can be visited at a cost of €2. There is a great view at the top.
Earlier this summer, I went on a guided tour of the Château des Ducs de Savoie (Castle of the Dukes of Savoie) in Chambéry. The construction of the castle was started in the 13th century to serve as the seat of the Counts (and later, Dukes) of Savoie but there has been many additions and demolitions over the years since. It now serves as the seat of the Préfecture of Savoie, so, apart from a small room near the entrance, the guided tour is the only way to visit the castle. The version of the tour I went on (called Château, Ruelles et Confidences) also included a visit of the old town of Chambéry.) nearby, which allowed access to some areas not normally open to the public. Some versions of the tour skip that part and visit the Tour Demi-Ronde (Half-Round Tower) in the castle instead.
Last spring, I went on a walk in Haute-Savoie near Lake Geneva (Lac Léman): Starting from Thonon-les-Bains, I walked to Yvoire, a small medieval town by the lake, passing through the Châteaux des Allinges (Castles of Allinges) on the way.
The Château de Chaumont is a former castle located in the village of Chaumont in Haute-Savoie, below Le Vuache. It was built starting in the 12th century and was razed by the French in the 17th century. These days, only a few fragments of walls remain, but the hill it was built on is now a park that offers a great view on the plain below and the surrounding mountains. In very clear days, it is even possible to see the Mont Blanc.
Earlier this spring, I went on hike to Le Vuache, a mountain in the Jura located on the other side of the Rhône from Fort l’Ecluse.
At the beginning of spring, I went on a hike on the east side of Lake Annecy: Starting at the lake in Menthon-Saint-Bernard, I walked to the castle (Château de Menthon-Saint-Bernard), then below the Rochers de Moillats and, finally, visited the Ermitage de Saint-Germain on the way down to Talloires.
The Château de Miolans (Miolans Castle) is a fortress in the Bauges mountains above Saint-Pierre-d’Albigny, Savoie. It was built during the Middle Ages and was converted to a prison by the Duchy of Savoy after they acquired it in the 16th century. Its most famous prisoner was probably writer (and notorious pervert) Marquis de Sade: He was arrested in 1772 in Chambéry and placed under guard at Miolans, until he escaped a few months later.
The Old Town of Annecy (le Vieil Annecy) is the most visited part of the city. It is located at the mouth of the Thiou river, an effluent of Lake Annecy on the way to the Fier River. It mostly developed starting in the 13th century when Annecy became the capital of the County of Geneva. Its most famous sights are the Castle, the Palais de l’Ile (which served as a court and a jail) and the canals. It is a pedestrian-only area and is host to many restaurants and shops, as well as a large market every Sunday morning.